China's sci-tech in 2018: Not the way it was before

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Weeks after China's annual political meetings known as Two Sessions, some key technology figures in China will attend an international conference: the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA).

Although the BFA is mainly about business, tech is still a critical part of the regional cooperation talks.

Last year's event explored the fintech field, providing a vision of how business would be done in Asia. And this year, the tech field will also play a big role.

Especially for China, where various sci-tech fields are actively growing up.

Here are a few fields to watch in 2018:

Space project: The dark side of the moon

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China has set a goal to reach the dark side of the moon in 2018, a place humans have never landed anything without crashing.

Although the US and Russia managed to put humans on the moon decades ago, the rest of the world is still facing difficulty catching up.

China planned to launch a lunar spacecraft with the newly-developed heavy rocket Long March-5. But the rocket has yet to be approved for carrying out the job, after the failure of the Y2 type during a mission back in July 2017.

According to official records, China's rocket experts are still looking for the exact reason behind the failure.

The "comeback show" of the Long March-5 will take place this year, according to a source inside the space program who asked to remain anonymous. And the job may very well be a moon landing.

Scientific research: More participation

The Soft X-ray Free Electron Laser in China (render) /CAS Photo‍

In 2018, several world-level research facilities will be built in China, including the China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS), which has widespread applications, and the Soft X-ray Free Electron Laser (SXFEL).

A complete list of the current facilities can be found on the website of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The facilities will make China a new proving ground for researchers, and the government is also introducing policies to lure experts to the country.

PC parts: From memory to graphics

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Lots of computers sold in China, even in the US, are labeled as "Made in China."

But that only means the device was assembled in the country. Most key parts like the processor, memory chips, storage and graphics cards are designed in foreign countries.

Gadget fans in China have been waiting for decades to see a domestically designed computer shipped to the market.

And the moment is near, as investments by tech leaders are producing positive results. A factory in central China's Hubei has successfully produced working memory chips with modern specs, which should make buyers cheer as the price of imported chips surged twofold in the recent year.

A state-owned enterprise recently discovered a way to mass-produce graphic cards that connect computers to screens, adding one more piece to the puzzle of a truly "Made in China" PC.

Exploring the three poles

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This year, China is not only eyeing Earth’s North and South Poles, but also the so-called "third pole" – Mount Qomolangma.

China launched a comprehensive expedition to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau last year – the second time in more than four decades – to retrieve snow and rock samples from the top of Mount Qomolangma for further research on the effects of climate change on the mountain.

China has also paved the way to the North Pole in its "Ice Silk Road" project with Russia, using icebreakers and cargo ships to sail across the Arctic Ocean.

Mobile Internet: 5G is coming

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Huawei and ZTE, China's twin telecom giants, have stopped shying away from exposing their 5G power, their next-generation phones and data standards.

The role China has played in setting telecom standards has shifted from an adopter to a main contributor in recent years. Also, the actual implementation is progressing smoothly, with field tests beginning this year.

In various Chinese tech shows last year, telecom operators showcased the benefits of 5G for consumers.

Although the widespread adoption of 5G may not happen until 2020, the year 2018 will witness the first working 5G phone in China, and many other parts of the world.